TOKYO (TR) – Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. said on Thursday that it has filed criminal charges against a former female employee in her 50s who is suspected of defrauding customers with false investment offers, reports NHK (June 26).
According to the results of an investigation released on June 17, the former employee from the Shinjo division of the Yamagata Branch defrauded 26 customers of approximately 22.4 million yen between November 2015 and August 2024.
The results of the investigation said that the former employee offered fictitious “high-yield preferential products” to the customers in carrying out the fraud.
When questioned, the former employee said that she had “used the money for living expenses and other things.” She paid back approximately 9.3 million yen to four customers, but the company has continued to make payments on behalf of her to the remaining 22 customers.
Sumitomo Life Insurance has take disciplinary action against the former employee, who resigned at the end of January. On Thursday, two employees, including the general affairs manager of the Yamagata branch, visited Shinjo Police Station and filed a complaint for fraud.
Whether the complaint will result in a criminal investigation is to be decided. A representative of the Shinjo Police Station said, “We cannot respond to individual cases.”
Second case
A separate matter has also surfaced involving the same employee, who joined the company in 2008. Before joining, she had 28 acquaintances and various customers open consumer loan accounts and withdrew a total of 28 million yen using their cards without permission.
A man who was defrauded of several million yen by the former employee said, “The former employee has still not apologized, and I hope that the investigation will be carried out. We must never tolerate fraudulent acts that betray our trust.”
